U.S. patent application number 15/079207 was filed with the patent office on 2017-09-28 for accelerometer sensor system.
This patent application is currently assigned to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is HENRY C. ABBINK, MICHAEL D. BULATOWICZ, PHILIP R. CLARK, ROBERT C. GRIFFITH, DARYL K. SAKAIDA. Invention is credited to HENRY C. ABBINK, MICHAEL D. BULATOWICZ, PHILIP R. CLARK, ROBERT C. GRIFFITH, DARYL K. SAKAIDA.
Application Number | 20170276698 15/079207 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58358514 |
Filed Date | 2017-09-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170276698 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BULATOWICZ; MICHAEL D. ; et
al. |
September 28, 2017 |
ACCELEROMETER SENSOR SYSTEM
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include an accelerometer system.
The system includes an accelerometer sensor comprising first and
second electrode configurations and an inertial mass between the
first and second electrode configurations. In one example, the
accelerometer sensor being fabricated as symmetrically arranged
about each of three orthogonal mid-planes. The system also includes
an accelerometer controller configured to apply control signals to
each of the first and second electrode configurations to provide
respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null position
between the first and second electrode configurations. The
accelerometer controller can measure a first pickoff signal and a
second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and
second electrode configurations. The first and second pickoff
signals can be indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass
relative to the null position. The accelerometer controller can
calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff
signals.
Inventors: |
BULATOWICZ; MICHAEL D.; (SUN
PRAIRIE, WI) ; GRIFFITH; ROBERT C.; (WOODLAND HILLS,
CA) ; ABBINK; HENRY C.; (WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA)
; SAKAIDA; DARYL K.; (SIMI VALLEY, CA) ; CLARK;
PHILIP R.; (CHARSWORTH, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BULATOWICZ; MICHAEL D.
GRIFFITH; ROBERT C.
ABBINK; HENRY C.
SAKAIDA; DARYL K.
CLARK; PHILIP R. |
SUN PRAIRIE
WOODLAND HILLS
WESTLAKE VILLAGE
SIMI VALLEY
CHARSWORTH |
WI
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS
CORPORATION
FALLS CHURCH
VA
|
Family ID: |
58358514 |
Appl. No.: |
15/079207 |
Filed: |
March 24, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01P 15/125 20130101;
G01P 2015/0837 20130101; G01P 15/0802 20130101; G01P 15/131
20130101; B81B 2201/0235 20130101; B81B 2203/0109 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01P 15/13 20060101
G01P015/13 |
Claims
1. An accelerometer system comprising: an accelerometer sensor
comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode
configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second
electrode configurations, the accelerometer sensor being fabricated
as symmetrically arranged about each of three orthogonal mid-planes
associated with the accelerometer sensor; and an accelerometer
controller configured to apply control signals to each of the first
and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to
maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and
second electrode configurations, the accelerometer controller being
further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a second
pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second
electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff signals
being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to
the null position, and to calculate an acceleration based on the
first and second pickoff signals.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrode configuration
is fabricated from a first silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer layer,
the second electrode configuration is fabricated from a second SOI
wafer layer, and the inertial mass is fabricated from a
semiconductor wafer layer.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first electrode
configuration and the second electrode configuration comprises
electrical connections that are arranged to provide a substantially
uniform electrical charge distribution with respect to the first
electrode configuration and the second electrode configuration.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first electrode
configuration and the second electrode configuration comprises a
pattern of grooves etched therein to provide airflow to a periphery
of the respective first and second electrode configurations in
response to displacement of the inertial mass.
5. An accelerometer system comprising: an integrated circuit (IC)
chip configured as an accelerometer sensor comprising a first
electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an
inertial mass between the first and second electrode
configurations; an accelerometer controller configured to apply
control signals to each of the first and second electrode
configurations to provide respective forces to maintain the
inertial mass at a null position between the first and second
electrode configurations, the accelerometer controller being
further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a second
pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second
electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff signals
being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to
the null position, and to calculate an acceleration based on the
first and second pickoff signals; a mounting interposer on which
the IC chip is mounted via a mechanically compliant adhesive along
a first plane that separates the IC chip and the mounting
interposer, the adhesive being arranged in a pattern that is
symmetric about two orthogonal planes that are orthogonal to the
first plane; and an accelerometer case that at least partially
encloses the IC chip, the accelerometer controller, and the
mounting interposer, the mounting interposer being mounted on a
surface of the accelerometer case via the mechanically compliant
adhesive, such that the mounting interposer interconnects the IC
chip and the accelerometer case.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the mounting interposer is
fabricated from a non-electrically conductive material having a
thermal expansion characteristic that is approximately equal to the
IC chip.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the IC chip is mounted to the
mounting interposer along a first plane that separates the IC chip
and the mounting interposer in a manner that is substantially
symmetric with respect to the mounting interposer about two
orthogonal planes that are orthogonal to the first plane.
8. The system of claim 5, wherein the mounting interposer is
mounted to the accelerometer case via an adhesive along a first
plane that separates the mounting interposer and the accelerometer
case, the adhesive being arranged in a pattern that is symmetric
about two orthogonal planes that are orthogonal to the first
plane.
9. The system of claim 5, wherein the mounting interposer is
mounted to the accelerometer case along a first plane that
separates the mounting interposer and the accelerometer case in a
manner that is substantially symmetric with respect to the
accelerometer case about two orthogonal planes that are orthogonal
to the first plane.
10. The system of claim 5, wherein the accelerometer case is
mounted to an instrument block, and wherein the accelerometer case
is formed of a same material as the instrument block.
11. A method for calculating an acceleration, the method
comprising: providing a charge to each of a first electrode
assembly and a second electrode assembly associated with an
accelerometer sensor based on a first voltage having a positive
amplitude, the first and second electrode assemblies being arranged
opposite an inertial mass; measuring first pickoff voltages
associated with the respective first and second electrode
assemblies in a first measurement cycle; providing a charge to the
first and second electrode assemblies based on a second voltage
having an amplitude that is equal and opposite the first voltage;
measuring second pickoff voltages associated with the respective
first and second electrode assemblies in a second measurement
cycle; calculating an average of differences between the respective
first and second pickoff voltages associated with each of the first
and second measurement cycles; and calculating a displacement of
the inertial mass resulting from the acceleration.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the charge to each of
the first and second electrode assemblies comprises sequentially
providing the charge to each of the first and second electrode
assemblies via a first charge amplifier assembly and a second
charge amplifier assembly, respectively.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein sequentially providing the
charge comprises sequentially providing the charge to each of the
first and second electrode assemblies via a switching system at an
input of each of the first and second charge amplifier assemblies
in response to a switching signal.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein sequentially providing the
charge comprises providing one of the first and second voltage to a
first input of a first amplifier of the first charge amplifier
system, the first amplifier having a second input configured to
receive an amplifier feedback voltage associated with a respective
one of the first and second voltages and an output that is coupled
to a first input of a second amplifier of the first charge
amplifier system, the second amplifier having an output configured
to provide the charge to the first electrode assembly in response
to the one of the first and second voltage; and providing one of
the first and second voltage to a first input of a first amplifier
of the second charge amplifier system that is configured
substantially similar to the first charge amplifier system, a
second amplifier of the second charge amplifier system having an
output configured to provide the charge to the second electrode
assembly in response to the one of the first and second
voltage.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein measuring the first pickoff
voltages comprises measuring the first pickoff voltages at an
output of the first charge amplifier system, and wherein measuring
the second pickoff voltages comprises measuring the second pickoff
voltages at an output of the second charge amplifier system.
16. An accelerometer system comprising: an accelerometer sensor
comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode
configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second
electrode configurations; and an accelerometer controller
comprising: a signal generator comprising a first charge amplifier
system configured to generate a first voltage to provide a first
charge on the first electrode assembly in response to an input
voltage and a second charge amplifier system configured to generate
a second voltage to provide a second charge on the second electrode
assembly in response to the input voltage to maintain the inertial
mass at a null position between the first and second electrode
configurations, each of the first and second charge amplifier
systems comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier in a
cascaded arrangement; and an acceleration processor configured to
calculate an acceleration based on a first pickoff signal
associated with the first charge and a second pickoff signal
associated with the second charge, the first and second pickoff
signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass
relative to the null position.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the accelerometer further
comprises a switching system configured to sequentially provide the
input voltage to each of the first and second charge amplifier
systems.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the switching system comprises
a switch configured to sequentially provide the input voltage to
each of the first and second charge amplifier systems in response
to a switching signal to provide the respective first and second
pickoff signals.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the switch is a first switch
that is responsive to a first switching signal, wherein the
switching system further comprises a second switch configured to
sequentially provide the input voltage as a positive voltage and a
negative voltage that are equal and opposite a zero voltage in a
first measurement cycle and a second measurement cycle,
respectively, in response to a second switching signal, wherein the
measurement system is configured to measure the first and second
pickoff signals associated with the respective first and second
electrode configurations at each of the first and second
measurement cycles, wherein the accelerometer controller further
comprises an acceleration processor configured to calculate an
average of a first difference between the first and second pickoff
signals in the first measurement cycle and a second difference
between the first and second pickoff signals in the second
measurement cycle, the acceleration processor being further
configured to calculate the acceleration based on the average.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first amplifier of each of
the first and second charge amplifier systems is configured to
receive a feedback signal associated with a respective one of the
first and second voltages at a first input and the input voltage at
a second input, and wherein the second amplifier is configured to
receive the feedback signal at a first input and an output signal
associated with the first amplifier at a second input, the second
amplifier being configured to generate the respective one of the
first and second voltages at an associated output.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to sensor systems, and
specifically to an accelerometer sensor system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In a force balanced sensing instrument, such as an
accelerometer for example, it is generally desired that the
instrument output signal be proportional to the input condition to
be sensed. Therefore, in many types of electrostatic and
electromagnetic force balanced sensing instruments special
techniques are required to obtain a linear relation between the
instrument output and the sensed input. In electrostatic and
electromagnetic instruments, the forces applied by the instrument
forcer are not linearly related to the feedback voltage or current
supplied to the forcer. Furthermore, for optimum operation of the
instrument itself it is preferred that the feedback force applied
by the feedback control network have a linear relation to the
sensed input. Thus, special techniques have been employed for
obtaining such linearity.
[0003] As one example, in an electrostatic force balanced
accelerometer, electrostatic forcing in a closed loop system is
employed to position and obtain an output from an inertial mass or
proof mass. The electrostatic forcing system employs a capacitive
pickoff electrode on each side of a pendulous member that has been
etched from a silicon substrate. A control pulse is employed to
sequentially apply a constant amount of charge to each electrode. A
variable force is applied to the inertial mass by varying the
amount of time (e.g., duty cycle) the charge is left on a
respective plate. The amount of time the charge is left on a
respective plate is based on the displacement of the inertial mass
relative to a null position.
[0004] Therefore, the feedback system in a given accelerometer
mechanization is designed to equalize the measured capacitance on
both sides of the inertial mass to maintain the inertial mass at
the null position. As a result, the proof mass is moved to the
position required to equalize the measured capacitance, regardless
of how much displacement this causes relative to the suspension. It
is typically assumed that when the capacitances are equal on both
sides of the inertial mass, the accelerometer forms a pair of
parallel-plate capacitors. However, a number of mechanical and
electrical factors can contribute to a non-uniform distribution of
charge and/or an error in the magnitude of the effective applied
charge on the pickoff electrodes on either side of the inertial
mass, thus resulting in errors in the measurement of the specific
force input to the inertial mass by an external influence, such as
acceleration.
SUMMARY
[0005] One embodiment of the invention includes an accelerometer
system. The system includes an accelerometer sensor comprising
first and second electrode configurations and an inertial mass
between the first and second electrode configurations. In one
example, the accelerometer sensor being fabricated as symmetrically
arranged about each of three orthogonal mid-planes. The system also
includes an accelerometer controller configured to apply control
signals to each of the first and second electrode configurations to
provide respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null
position between the first and second electrode configurations. The
accelerometer controller can measure a first pickoff signal and a
second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and
second electrode configurations. The first and second pickoff
signals can be indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass
relative to the null position. The accelerometer controller can
calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff
signals.
[0006] Another embodiment of the invention includes an
accelerometer system. The system includes an integrated circuit
(IC) chip configured as an accelerometer sensor comprising a first
electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an
inertial mass between the first and second electrode
configurations. The system also includes an accelerometer
controller configured to apply control signals to each of the first
and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to
maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and
second electrode configurations. The accelerometer controller can
be further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a
second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and
second electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff
signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass
relative to the null position, and to calculate an acceleration
based on the first and second pickoff signals. The system can also
include a mounting interposer on which the IC chip is mounted via a
mechanically compliant adhesive along a first plane that separates
the IC chip and the mounting interposer, the adhesive being
arranged in a pattern that is symmetric about two orthogonal planes
that are orthogonal to the first plane. The system can further
include an accelerometer case that at least partially encloses the
IC chip, the accelerometer controller, and the mounting interposer,
the mounting interposer being mounted on a surface of the
accelerometer case via the mechanically compliant adhesive, such
that the mounting interposer interconnects the IC chip and the
accelerometer case.
[0007] Another embodiment of the invention includes a method for
calculating an acceleration. The method includes providing a charge
to each of a first electrode assembly and a second electrode
assembly associated with an accelerometer sensor based on a first
voltage having a positive amplitude. The first and second electrode
assemblies can be arranged opposite an inertial mass. The method
also includes measuring first pickoff voltages associated with the
respective first and second electrode assemblies in a first
measurement cycle. The method also includes providing a charge to
the first and second electrode assemblies based on a second voltage
having an amplitude that is equal and opposite the first voltage.
The method also includes measuring second pickoff voltages
associated with the respective first and second electrode
assemblies in a second measurement cycle. The method also includes
calculating an average of differences between the respective first
and second pickoff voltages associated with each of the first and
second measurement cycles. The method further includes calculating
a displacement of the inertial mass resulting from the
acceleration.
[0008] Yet another embodiment of the invention includes an
accelerometer system. The system includes an accelerometer sensor
comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode
configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second
electrode configurations. The system also includes an accelerometer
controller. The accelerometer controller includes a signal
generator comprising a first charge amplifier system configured to
generate a first voltage to provide a first charge on the first
electrode assembly in response to an input voltage and a second
charge amplifier system configured to generate a second voltage to
provide a second charge on the second electrode assembly in
response to the input voltage to maintain the inertial mass at a
null position between the first and second electrode
configurations. Each of the first and second charge amplifier
systems comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier in a
cascaded arrangement. The accelerometer controller also includes an
acceleration processor configured to calculate an acceleration
based on a first pickoff signal associated with the first charge
and a second pickoff signal associated with the second charge. The
first and second pickoff signals can be indicative of a
displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an accelerometer
system.
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates an example diagram of a wafer
assembly.
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an accelerometer
sensor.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates an example diagram of a portion of an
accelerometer sensor.
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates another example diagram of a portion of
an accelerometer sensor.
[0014] FIG. 6 illustrates another example of an accelerometer
system.
[0015] FIG. 7 illustrates an example diagram of an accelerometer
sensor mounting system.
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates yet another example of an accelerometer
system.
[0017] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a portion of a signal
generator system.
[0018] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an algorithm for
mitigating errors in an accelerometer system.
[0019] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a method for calculating
an acceleration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] This disclosure relates generally to sensor systems, and
specifically to an accelerometer sensor system. An accelerometer
sensor system can include a sensor that comprises an inertial mass
(e.g., a proofmass) and an electrode configuration (e.g., on either
side of the inertial mass). The sensor can provide pickoff signals
(e.g., acceleration feedback signals) in response to control
signals (e.g., provided as controlled charge) that are provided to
the inertial mass and/or electrodes, with the pickoff signals being
indicative of displacement of the inertial mass resulting from
external acceleration. The accelerometer sensor system also
includes an acceleration controller that is configured to calculate
a magnitude of the input acceleration acting upon the accelerometer
system based on the pickoff signals. The accelerometer controller
includes a signal generator that is configured to generate the
control signals and a measurement system configured to measure the
pickoff signals.
[0021] Each of the electrode configurations corresponds to a
parallel-plate capacitor with respect to the inertial mass, such
that the applied charge can be measured as a voltage corresponding
to the pickoff signals. The voltages can be based on the
capacitance of the parallel-plate capacitor associated with the
respective one of the electrode configurations and the inertial
mass. Thus, when the capacitances are equal on both sides of the
inertial mass with respect to the electrode configurations, it is
assumed that inertial mass is at an electrical null position
corresponding to equal voltages on each side of the inertial mass
(e.g., with respect to the first and second electrode
configurations). However, a number of mechanical and electrical
factors can contribute to a non-uniform distribution of charge on
the electrode configurations on either side of the inertial mass.
As a result, errors can exhibit in the measurement of the
capacitances on both sides of the inertial mass. Such errors can
interfere with a proper measure of the displacement of the inertial
mass from the null position, and can thus appear as components of
external acceleration.
[0022] The accelerometer system can have a variety of features to
substantially mitigate non-uniform charge distribution of the
charge on the electrode configurations. As one example, the
accelerometer sensor can be fabricated as a multi-layer silicon
structure (e.g., an integrated circuit) that can be arranged as
symmetric about each of three orthogonal mid-planes. The electrode
configurations can be provided with electrical connections that are
likewise symmetric to provide a substantially uniform charge
distribution across the electrode configurations. Additionally, the
accelerometer system can be fabricated in a manner to substantially
mitigate mechanical and thermal stresses, such as based on
implementing a mounting interposer between the IC of the
accelerometer sensor and the accelerometer case via an adhesive
arranged in a pattern that is symmetric about two orthogonal
planes. In addition, to likewise substantially mitigate errors, the
charge that is provided to the electrode configurations can be
provided in a sequential manner based on an alternating positive
and negative voltage (e.g., equal and opposite zero amplitude),
with the differences in the pickoff signals between the electrode
configurations being averaged. Furthermore, the signal generator
can include first and second charge amplifier systems that are each
arranged as a pair of cascaded amplifiers to provide the charge on
the electrode configurations of the accelerometer sensor, such as
based on a switching system that sequentially provides an input
voltage to an input of each of the first and second charge
amplifier systems. Therefore, sources of error resulting from a
non-uniform charge distribution can be substantially mitigated.
[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an accelerometer system 10
in accordance with an aspect of the invention. The accelerometer
system 10 can be implemented in any of a variety of applications,
such as for navigation and/or guidance systems. As an example, the
accelerometer system 10 can be arranged in an accelerometer case as
part of an instrument block corresponding to a navigation system.
The accelerometer system 10 can be configured to measure an
external input acceleration acting upon the accelerometer system
10, demonstrated in the example of FIG. 1 as a signal ACC. As
described herein, an external acceleration or input acceleration is
defined as an acceleration of the accelerometer system 10 resulting
from an external force that is applied to the accelerometer system
10, and can include gravity as well as accelerations resulting from
other external forces. As described herein, the accelerometer
system 10 can be configured to calculate the external acceleration
ACC in a manner that substantially mitigates errors, such as
associated with a non-uniform charge distribution.
[0024] The accelerometer system 10 includes an accelerometer sensor
12. As an example, the accelerometer sensor 12 can be configured as
an integrated circuit (IC), such that the accelerometer sensor 12
can be fabricated as a chip. The accelerometer sensor 12 includes
an inertial mass 14, a first electrode configuration 15, and a
second electrode configuration 16, such that the inertial mass 14
is disposed between the electrode configurations 15 and 16. The
inertial mass 14 can be arranged such that the inertial mass 14 is
forced in a direction opposite the external acceleration. The
accelerometer system 10 also includes an accelerometer controller
18. The accelerometer controller 18 includes a signal generator 20,
a measurement system 22, and an acceleration processor 24. The
signal generator 20 is configured to generate control signals SIG
that are provided to the respective electrode configurations 16 for
maintaining the inertial mass 14 at a substantial electrical null
position in a force rebalance manner. The measurement system 22 is
configured to measure pickoff signals, demonstrated in the example
of FIG. 1 as signals PO, that are associated with a capacitance of
the respective electrode configurations 15 and 16 relative to the
inertial mass 14, and can thus provide an indication of
displacement of the inertial mass 14, demonstrated as a signal PM,
to the acceleration processor 24. The acceleration processor 24 can
thus control the signal generator 20 to implement the force
rebalance of the inertial mass 14, such as by adjusting one or more
of an amplitude, a polarity, a duration, and a duty-cycle of the
control signals SIG based on the force rebalance implementation.
Therefore, the acceleration processor 24 can be configured to
calculate the input acceleration ACC of the accelerometer system 10
in response to a force acting upon the inertial mass 14 based on
the force rebalance of the inertial mass 14 to the null
position.
[0025] As one example, the signal generator 20 can generate charge
pulses (e.g., current pulses) of a substantially equal and opposite
amplitude, and the acceleration processor 24 is configured to
provide the charge pulses to the electrode configurations 15 and 16
in a predetermined sequence to generate electrostatic forces to
accelerate the inertial mass 14 toward the respective null position
(e.g., to rebalance the inertial mass 14). For example, the
acceleration processor 24 can alternately provide charge pulses
generated by the signal generator 20 to the first electrode
configuration 15 then to the second electrode configuration 16 to
generate alternating electrostatic forces of opposite polarity. As
a result, the inertial mass 14 is alternately accelerated in the
first and second directions to position the inertial mass 14 toward
the null position at each charge pulse application. In response to
an external force, the acceleration processor 24 can be configured
to change a duty-cycle of the current pulses corresponding to the
control signals SIG in a pulse-width modulation (PWM) manner to
apply a greater rebalance force to one side of the respective
inertial mass 14.
[0026] As a result of a capacitive coupling between the respective
electrode configurations 15 and 16 and the inertial mass 14, the
pickoff signals PO are generated at the electrode configurations 15
and 16 that are an indication of the relative displacement of the
inertial mass 14. The pickoff signals PO can thus be a function of
a displacement (e.g., capacitive gap) of the inertial mass 14
relative to the respective electrode configurations 15 and 16.
Accordingly, the pickoff signals PO can provide an indication of a
magnitude of the relative displacement of the inertial mass 14. The
measurement system 22 can be configured to generate the signal PM
that corresponds to the displacement of the inertial mass 14 and/or
a time integral of the displacement of the inertial mass 14 based
on the pickoff signals PO, such as resulting from an external
acceleration. The acceleration processor 24 can thus be configured
to calculate the magnitude of the external acceleration ACC based
on the output signals PM.
[0027] The operation of the accelerometer system 10, as described
previously, is based on ideal fabrication and operational
conditions. However, for a typical accelerometer system,
inappropriate assumptions are often set forth regarding the
geometry of a given accelerometer sensor and the method of feedback
to keep a respective inertial mass stable (closed-loop
force-rebalance accelerometers) and/or the method of measurement of
displacement of the inertial mass (open-loop accelerometers). In
the example of an out-of-plane type of accelerometer, the most
common assumption is that the electrode-to-inertial mass interface
forms a parallel-plate capacitor. This assumption can lead to
substantial simplification of the mathematics involved in analysis
of the instrument, and can provide for a reasonable first-order
estimate of the accelerometer performance characteristics. However,
the assumption of flat parallel planes for the proof mass and
electrode can be faulty. High-precision measurements of the
physical geometry of a given accelerometer sensor can reveal that
the assumption of the parallelism is often quite poor. As an
example, distortion of an individual accelerometer sensor with
respect to the inertial mass-to-electrode gap can be as great as
10% or more of the nominal gap. This distortion can substantially
invalidate the assumption of parallel plates in the capacitive gap
of a given accelerometer sensor. Sources of the distortion at chip
level can include wafer fabrication tolerances such as bow, warp,
and thickness variation as well as residual stress in the wafer
resulting from the fabrication process. Another source of
distortion at the chip level can include the thermal expansion
coefficient mismatch between the materials comprising the chip (for
example, silicon and silicon dioxide).
[0028] Distortion of the given accelerometer sensor can lead to
discrepancies in the electrical null, such as resulting in bias
errors. Additionally, the distortion can modify the electrical
charge distribution on the electrodes and the inertial mass, such
as resulting in a non-uniform charge distribution on the respective
electrodes. Such non-uniform charge distribution can result in a
change in applied electrostatic force per unit charge (or per unit
voltage) on the electrode as a whole as compared to parallel, flat
surfaces with uniform charge distribution. Furthermore, the
non-uniform electrical charge distribution can result in a
non-uniform distribution of force between the electrode and proof
mass (for a force-rebalance type of accelerometer), leading to an
applied net torque in addition to the applied force. Furthermore,
thermal expansion coefficient differences between various materials
can lead to temperature sensitivity of the distortion of the chip,
resulting in temperature-sensitive changes in torque and force
applied to the inertial mass per unit charge, as well as a
potential change in the direction of the sensitive axis of the
accelerometer system, resulting in misalignment over temperature.
All of these factors can thus contribute to errors in a measured
acceleration. As described herein, the accelerometer system 10 can
include a variety of features that can substantially mitigate
errors in the measured acceleration ACC.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an example diagram of a wafer assembly
50. The wafer assembly 50 can correspond to an initial stage in
fabrication of an accelerometer sensor, such as the accelerometer
sensor 12 in the example of FIG. 1. The wafer assembly 50 includes
a first wafer layer 52, a second wafer layer 54, and a third wafer
layer 56. The first wafer layer 52 can correspond to a first
portion of the accelerometer sensor 12 that includes the first
electrode configuration 15, and the second wafer layer 54 can
correspond to a second portion of the accelerometer sensor 12 that
includes the second electrode configuration 16. The third wafer
layer 56 can correspond to a portion of the accelerometer sensor 12
that includes the inertial mass 14.
[0030] The wafer assembly 50 is demonstrated in the example of FIG.
2 in a cross-sectional view in a Y-Z plane. In the example of FIG.
2, the first and second wafer layers 52 and 54 are fabricated as
silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer layers. For example, the first
wafer layer 52 includes a first silicon layer 58, an oxide layer
60, a second silicon layer 62, and a silicon-dioxide layer 64.
Similarly, the second wafer layer 54 includes a first silicon layer
66, an oxide layer 68, a second silicon layer 70, and a
silicon-dioxide layer 72. Thus, the second wafer layer 54 is
demonstrated as inverted relative to the first wafer layer 52. The
third wafer layer 56 includes a semiconductor (e.g., silicon) layer
74 that interconnects a first silicon-dioxide layer 76 and a second
silicon-dioxide layer 78. The wafer layers 52, 54, and 56 can thus
be etched and/or otherwise processed to form the accelerometer
sensor 12. As described herein, the wafer assembly 50 can be
fabricated to form an IC chip corresponding to an accelerometer
sensor.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an accelerometer sensor
100. The accelerometer sensor 100 can correspond to the wafer
assembly 50 having undergone etching and/or other processing steps
to fabricate a finished accelerometer sensor. The accelerometer
sensor 100 includes a first layer 102 that can correspond to an
etched and/or processed first wafer layer 52, a second layer 104
that can correspond to an etched and/or processed second wafer
layer 54, and a third layer 106 that can correspond to an etched
and/or processed third wafer layer 56. As an example, the
accelerometer sensor 100 can correspond to the accelerometer sensor
12 in the example of FIG. 1. Therefore, the accelerometer sensor
100 can be fabricated as an IC chip. Accordingly, reference is to
be made to the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the following
description of the example of FIG. 3.
[0032] The accelerometer sensor 100 includes an inertial mass 108,
a first electrode configuration 110, and a second electrode
configuration 112. The first and second electrode configurations
110 and 112 are arranged on opposing surfaces of the inertial mass
108. As described herein, an electrode configuration can correspond
to one or more electrodes, such that the first and second electrode
configurations 110 and 112 can each be arranged as a single
electrode or as set of plural electrodes. The inertial mass 108 is
coupled to a frame 114 of the accelerometer sensor 100 via a set of
flexures 116. The frame 114 can correspond to portions of each of
the first, second, and third layers 102, 104, and 106. The flexures
116 are configured in the example of FIG. 3 can be configured as a
set of flexures that are arranged at each peripheral surface of the
inertial mass 108 in a symmetric manner about two orthogonal
mid-planes. Therefore, motion of the inertial mass 108 up and down
along an input axis 118 can be maintained in a substantially planar
motion with respect to the frame 114, such that an angle between
the inertial mass 108 relative to the first and second electrode
configurations 110 and 112, which is nominally zero, can remain
substantially constant to substantially avoid wedge-effects that
can affect the scale-factor and/or bias of the accelerometer sensor
100. As an example, based on the etching and/or fabrication
processing of the first, second, and third layers 102, 104, and 106
(e.g., from the respective wafer layers 52, 54, and 56), the
inertial mass 108, the first electrode configuration 110, and the
second electrode configuration 112 can be fabricated as
substantially process-matched components with respect to each
other.
[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates an example diagram 150 of a portion of an
accelerometer sensor 152. The portion of the accelerometer sensor
152 is demonstrated in a first view 154 and in a second view 156,
with the first and second views 154 and 156 being in an X-Y plane
and inverted with respect to each other (with respect to the
Z-axis). The portion of the accelerometer sensor 152 can correspond
to one of the first and second layers 102 and 104 of the
accelerometer sensor 100 in the example of FIG. 3, and thus to a
respective one of the etched and/or processed first or second wafer
layers 52 and 54. Therefore, reference is to be made to the example
of FIG. 3 in the following description of the example of FIG.
4.
[0034] The first view 154 demonstrates a top cover 158 of the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 152, and the second view 156
demonstrates an electrode configuration 160 that can correspond to
a respective one of the first and second electrode configurations
110 and 112. The portion of the accelerometer sensor 152 includes a
plurality of electrical connections 162 to which the accelerometer
controller 18 can be electrically coupled, such as to provide the
control signals SIG and/or to measure the pickoff signals PO. In
the example of FIG. 4, the electrical connections 162 are
demonstrated on both the top cover 158 and extending through the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 152. As an example, the
electrical connections 162 can be solid metal conductors that
extend through the portion of the accelerometer sensor 152, or can
be connections directly to silicon, with the silicon being
conductively coupled across multiple silicon layers (e.g., the
first and second silicon layers 58 and 62). In the example of FIG.
4, the electrical connections 162 are demonstrated on multiple
layers of the portion of the accelerometer sensor 152 with respect
to the top cover 158, such that the electrical connections 162 can
be disposed on the different multiple silicon layers (e.g., the
first and second silicon layers 58 and 62). The electrical
connections 162 are collectively demonstrated in a symmetrical
arrangement with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes of the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 152, demonstrated in the
example of FIG. 4 as the X-Z plane and the Y-Z plane through the
middle of the portion of the accelerometer sensor 152.
[0035] The second view 156 demonstrates the electrode configuration
160 as substantially centered with respect to the portion of the
accelerometer sensor 152. As described previously, the electrode
configuration 160 can correspond to a respective one of the first
and second electrode configurations 110 and 112, and thus can be
provided charge via the control signals SIG to provide an
electrostatic force with respect to an inertial mass (e.g., the
inertial mass 108). Similar to the electrical connections, the
electrode configuration 160 is demonstrated in a symmetrical
arrangement with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes of the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 152. In addition, in the
example of FIG. 4, the electrode configuration 160 is arranged with
respect to the electrical connections 162 to provide for a
substantially uniform distribution of electric charge on the
electrode configuration as a function of time. Furthermore, in the
example of FIG. 4, the electrode configuration 160 may be arranged
substantially symmetrically over the inertial mass, such as the
inertial mass 108 in the example of FIG. 3. The structural symmetry
of the arrangement of the electrode configuration 160 with respect
to the portion of the accelerometer sensor 152 and the inertial
mass effectively symmetrizes thermal expansion contributions to
capacitive gap distortion. Therefore, based on the symmetry and the
arrangement of the electrode configuration 160 and the electrical
connections 162, errors associated with a non-uniform distribution
of charge can be substantially mitigated in operation of an
accelerometer sensor (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 100) that
includes the portion of the accelerometer sensor 152.
[0036] In addition, in the example of FIG. 4, the electrode
configuration 160 is demonstrated as including a pattern of grooves
164. The pattern of grooves 164 is demonstrated as parallel grooves
164 extending in two orthogonal axes in the example of FIG. 4, but
it is to be understood that the pattern of grooves 164 can be
arranged in a variety of different ways (e.g., parallel grooves
along a single axis). The pattern of grooves 164 can be etched in
the electrode configuration 160 to provide airflow primarily out of
the relatively narrow capacitive gap and into the grooves 164, and
secondarily to a periphery of the electrode configuration 160 in
response to displacement of the inertial mass (e.g., the inertial
mass 108). This pattern of grooves 164 is provided as a means of
reducing squeeze-film gas damping in the event that the associated
accelerometer sensor (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 100) is
gas-damped, as may be desirable in end-use applications requiring
substantial acceleration dynamics. Therefore, the pattern of
grooves 164 can result in a small increase in sensitive mass, as
opposed to etching holes in the inertial mass as is done in a
typical gas-damped accelerometer system, and can provide reduced
damping for a substantially low-noise operation of the
accelerometer system 100 (e.g., to lower the noise associated with
Brownian motion of the inertial mass (e.g., the inertial mass 108)
arising from the squeeze-film damping effects to below 4 micro-g
per square root Hz). Thus, the pattern of grooves 164 can
substantially improve the operation of the accelerometer system
100.
[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates another example diagram 200 of a portion
of an accelerometer sensor 202. The portion of the accelerometer
sensor 202 can correspond to the third layer 106 of the
accelerometer sensor 100 that includes the inertial mass 108 in the
example of FIG. 3, and thus to the respective etched and/or
processed third wafer layer 56. The portion of the accelerometer
sensor 202 is demonstrated in the X-Y plane, and can form a
complete accelerometer sensor (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 100)
along with two of the portions of the accelerometer sensor 152 in
the example of FIG. 4 (e.g., above and below the portion of the
accelerometer sensor 202 with respect to the Z-axis). Therefore,
reference is to be made to the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4 in the
following description of the example of FIG. 5.
[0038] The portion of the accelerometer sensor 202 includes an
inertial mass 204 that is coupled to a frame 206 via flexures 208.
The frame 206 can be coupled to respective portions of the
accelerometer sensor 152 above and below the portion of the
accelerometer sensor 202 (via the Z-axis), such as based on etching
away respective interconnecting silicon-dioxide layers, such as via
the adjoining silicon-dioxide layers 64 and 76 and the adjoining
silicon-dioxide layers 72 and 78 in the example of FIG. 2. The
flexures 208 are configured in the example of FIG. 5 as a set of
flexures that are arranged at each peripheral surface of the
inertial mass 204 in a symmetric manner about two orthogonal
mid-planes. Therefore, motion of the inertial mass 204 up and down
along an input axis (e.g., the input axis 118) that is orthogonal
to the plane of the inertial mass 204 can be maintained in a
substantially planar motion with respect to the frame 206, such
that an angle between the inertial mass 204 relative to the first
and second electrode configurations (e.g., the electrode
configurations 160 above and below the inertial mass 204 along the
Z-axis), which is nominally zero, can remain substantially constant
to substantially avoid some of the disadvantages of pendulous
motion, such as wedge-effects, that can affect the scale-factor
and/or bias of the accelerometer sensor. As an example, based on
the etching and/or fabrication processing of the first, second, and
third layers 102, 104, and 106 (e.g., from the respective wafer
layers 52, 54, and 56), the inertial mass 204 and the electrode
configurations 160 can be fabricated as substantially
process-matched components with respect to each other.
[0039] The portion of the accelerometer sensor 202 also includes a
plurality of electrical connections 210 to which the accelerometer
controller 18 can be electrically coupled, such as a low-voltage
rail (e.g., ground) connection. In the example of FIG. 5, the
electrical connections 210 can be present on both sides of the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 202, such as extending through
the portion of the accelerometer sensor 202. As an example, the
electrical connections 210 can be solid metal conductors that
extend through the portion of the accelerometer sensor 202, or can
be connections directly to silicon. The inertial mass 204, the
frame 206, the flexures 208, and the electrical connections 210 are
collectively demonstrated in a symmetrical arrangement with respect
to two orthogonal mid-planes of the portion of the accelerometer
sensor 202, demonstrated in the example of FIG. 5 as the X-Z plane
and the Y-Z plane through the middle of the portion of the
accelerometer sensor 202. Therefore, combined with the respective
portions of the accelerometer sensor 152 above and below the
portion of the accelerometer sensor 202 (via the Z-axis), the
resulting accelerometer sensor (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 100)
can have a completely symmetrical arrangement with respect to all
three orthogonal mid-planes (X-Y plane, X-Z-plane, and Y-Z
plane).
[0040] With reference to the examples of FIGS. 3-5, based on the
symmetric arrangement of the accelerometer sensor 100, a variety of
errors in the calculation of the acceleration can be substantially
mitigated. For example, first order bias effects of chip
self-distortion, such as due to a thermal expansion coefficient
mismatch between silicon, silicon-dioxide, silicon-nitride, and/or
any other materials of the accelerometer sensor 100, can be
substantially mitigated. As another example, the symmetry of the
accelerometer sensor 100 can balance the thickness in various
layers (e.g., the sub-layers of the layers 102, 104, and 106) of
the IC chip to minimize self-distortion temperature sensitivity. As
another example, the symmetry of the accelerometer sensor 100 can
reduce stiffness of the electrode configurations 110 and 112
relative to the frame 114, and thus can further reduce driving
forces behind temperature-sensitive self-distortion of the
accelerometer sensor 100. As another example, the symmetry of the
accelerometer sensor 100 can minimize the etched-out area of the
electrode configurations 110 and 112 relative to the frame 114,
such as to maximize the overall stiffness of the frame 114 and
thereby minimize the sensitivity to self-distortion stress (e.g.,
including thermal gradients) and applied stresses.
[0041] As yet another example, the symmetry of the accelerometer
sensor 100 can increase a ratio of sensitive capacitance to stray
capacitance (e.g., the ratio of inertial mass-to-electrode
capacitance to inertial-mass-to-ground capacitance) by increasing
the inertial-mass-to-electrode area as compared to the
inertial-mass-to-ground area. Such an arrangement also provides the
option of including approximately one micron of thermally-grown
silicon-dioxide (e.g., the adjoining silicon-dioxide layers 64 and
76 and the adjoining silicon-dioxide layers 72 and 78) in the
inertial-mass-to-electrode gap to further increase the capacitance
from the inertial mass 108 to the electrode configurations 110 and
112 without modification of the capacitance from the inertial mass
108 to ground. As a result, the effects of ground-plane noise on
the measurement of displacement of the inertial mass 108 can be
mitigated, resulting in decreased noise in the measured
acceleration ACC. The oxide on the inertial mass 108 can have an
additional effect of reducing a voltage required to actuate the
inertial mass 108 at a given full-scale range. Accordingly, the
arrangement of the accelerometer sensor 100, as demonstrated in the
examples of FIGS. 3-5, can provide for substantially mitigated
errors in the measurement of the acceleration ACC.
[0042] It is to be understood that the physical arrangement of the
accelerometer sensor 100, as demonstrated in FIGS. 3-5, is provided
as an example. A variety of other types of arrangements to provide
symmetry of the accelerometer sensor 100 about the three orthogonal
mid-planes can be implemented instead of the examples of FIGS. 3-5
to provide the implementation of measurement of the acceleration
ACC with substantially mitigated errors.
[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates another example of an accelerometer
system 250. The accelerometer system 250 can correspond to the
accelerometer system 10 in the example of FIG. 1, but demonstrates
an example of details as to the physical mounting arrangement of
the accelerometer system 250. Thus, reference is to be made to the
examples of FIGS. 1-5 in the following description of the example
of FIG. 6. The accelerometer system 250 is demonstrated in a
cross-sectional view in the same coordinate system as demonstrated
in the examples of FIGS. 2-5.
[0044] The accelerometer system 250 includes an accelerometer
sensor 252. In the example of FIG. 6, the accelerometer sensor 252
is configured as an IC chip, such as arranged as demonstrated in
the examples of FIGS. 3-5. Therefore, the accelerometer sensor 252
includes an inertial mass and electrode configurations between
which the inertial mass is disposed. The accelerometer system 250
also includes an accelerometer controller 254 corresponding to the
electronics system of the accelerometer system 250, such as
configured substantially similar to the accelerometer controller 18
in the example of FIG. 1. The accelerometer controller 254 can thus
include a signal generator, a measurement system, and an
acceleration processor. In the example of FIG. 6, the accelerometer
controller 254 is electrically coupled with the accelerometer
sensor 252, demonstrated by a bi-directional arrow 256, such as to
provide control signals SIG and to measure corresponding pickoff
signals PO associated with a capacitance of the electrode
configurations of the accelerometer sensor 252 relative to the
inertial mass. Therefore, the acceleration controller 254 can be
configured to calculate the input acceleration ACC of the
accelerometer system 250 in response to a force acting upon the
inertial mass of the accelerometer sensor 252 based on the force
rebalance of the inertial mass to a null position.
[0045] The accelerometer sensor 252 and the accelerometer
controller 254 are arranged as being at least partially enclosed
within an accelerometer case 258. As an example, the accelerometer
case 258 can be an at least partial enclosure in which the
accelerometer system 10 in the example of FIG. 1 is arranged and
enclosed. In the example of FIG. 6, the accelerometer sensor 252 is
mounted to a mounting interposer 260, which is mounted to an
interior surface of the accelerometer case 258. In the example of
FIG. 6, the mounting interposer 260 is mounted to the accelerometer
case 258 via a mechanically compliant adhesive 262, and the
accelerometer sensor 252 is likewise mounted to the mounting
interposer 260 via the mechanically compliant adhesive 262. As an
example, the mounting of the mounting interposer 260 can be
symmetric with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes of the surface
of the accelerometer case 258 and the mounting of the accelerometer
sensor 252 can be symmetric with respect to two orthogonal
mid-planes of the mounting interposer 260. Additionally, the
mechanically compliant adhesive 262 can be arranged in an adhesive
pattern that is symmetric with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes
of the surface of the accelerometer case 258 and the mounting
interposer 260, respectively.
[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates an example diagram 300 of an
accelerometer sensor mounting system. The diagram 300 demonstrates
an accelerometer sensor 302, a mounting interposer 304, and a
surface of an accelerometer case 306 in an overhead view (e.g.,
along the Z-axis). As an example, the accelerometer sensor 302, the
mounting interposer 304, and the surface of the accelerometer case
306 can correspond to the accelerometer sensor 252, the mounting
interposer 260, and the accelerometer case 258 in the example of
FIG. 6, respectively. Therefore, reference is to be made to the
example of FIG. 6 in the following description of the example of
FIG. 7.
[0047] In the example of FIG. 7, the accelerometer sensor 302 is
mounted over the mounting interposer 304, which is mounted over the
surface of the accelerometer case 306. In the example of FIG. 7,
the mounting of the accelerometer sensor 302 is demonstrated as
symmetric with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes of the mounting
interposer 304 (the X-Z plane and the Y-Z plane). Similarly, the
mounting of the mounting interposer 304 is demonstrated as
symmetric with respect to two orthogonal mid-planes of the surface
of the accelerometer case 306 (the X-Z plane and the Y-Z plane).
Additionally, the diagram 300 demonstrates an adhesive pattern of a
mechanically compliant adhesive, demonstrated as dotted circles
308, that bond the accelerometer sensor 302 to the mounting
interposer 304. As an example, the mechanically compliant adhesive
308 can be applied in a thickness controlled manner, and can have a
cure temperature that is only slightly greater than a maximum
operating temperature of the associated accelerometer system (e.g.,
the accelerometer system 250). The adhesive pattern of the
mechanically compliant adhesive 308 is demonstrated as arranged in
a manner that is symmetric with respect to two orthogonal
mid-planes of the mounting interposer 304 (the X-Z plane and the
Y-Z plane). An additional layer of mechanically compliant adhesive
can likewise bond the mounting interposer 304 to the surface of the
accelerometer case 306, such as in a similar adhesive pattern.
While the mechanically compliant adhesive 308 is demonstrated in an
adhesive pattern of four "dots", it is to be understood that a
variety of other adhesive patterns that are symmetric about two
orthogonal mid-planes can instead be implemented.
[0048] Based on the implementation of the symmetric mounting of the
accelerometer sensor 302 to the mounting interposer 304, the
symmetric mounting of the mounting interposer 304 to the surface of
the accelerometer case 306, and the symmetry of the adhesive
pattern of the mechanically compliant adhesive 308, a number of
errors in the calculation of the external acceleration ACC (e.g.,
via the accelerometer controller 254 in the example of FIG. 6) can
be substantially mitigated. As an example, the arrangement of the
accelerometer sensor mounting system in the example of FIG. 7 can
reduce a stress at a given temperature within the operational range
of the accelerometer system 250, and can substantially mitigate
(e.g., to first order) being subjected to temperature sensitivity
of mounting alignment, such as can be induced by an asymmetric
mounting scheme. In addition, mechanical stress transferred to the
mounting interposer 304 via the surface of the accelerometer case
306 due to thermal expansion mismatches between the respective
mounting interposer 304 and the surface of the accelerometer case
306 can be substantially mitigated. Similarly, mechanical stress
transferred to the accelerometer senso 302 via the mounting
interposer 304 due to thermal expansion mismatches between the
respective accelerometer sensor 302 and the mounting interposer 304
can likewise be substantially mitigated.
[0049] Referring back to the example of FIG. 6, the accelerometer
controller 254 is demonstrated as being mounted to an interior
surface of the accelerometer case 258 via the mechanically
compliant adhesive 262. As an example, the mechanically compliant
adhesive 262 can be arranged in an adhesive pattern similar to as
demonstrated in the example of FIG. 7. Therefore, the effects of a
thermal expansion mismatch between the electronics of the
accelerometer controller 254 and the accelerometer case 258 can be
substantially mitigated, such as similar to as described previously
in the example of FIG. 7, to provide substantially mitigated
deleterious effects on calculation of the acceleration ACC with
respect to bias and/or scale factor errors. Additionally, the
accelerometer case 258 is demonstrated as being mounted to an
instrument block 264 that can correspond to a navigation and/or
avionics system (e.g., including additional accelerometer systems,
magnetometer systems, and/or gyroscope systems), such as mounted on
an interior surface of a fuselage or vehicle frame.
[0050] As an example, the mounting interposer 260 can be fabricated
from a material that is non-conductive, and can exhibit thermal
expansion characteristics that are substantially equal to thermal
expansions characteristics of the accelerometer sensor 252. For
example, the mounting interposer 260 can be fabricated from a
silica material. As another example, the accelerometer case 258 can
be formed from the same material as the instrument block 264, or
from a material that exhibits thermal expansion characteristics
that are substantially equal to thermal expansions characteristics
of the instrument block 264. Based on the substantial thermal
expansion-matching characteristics of the mouting interposer 260
and the accelerometer sensor 252, and the accelerometer case 258
and the instrument block 264, respectively, errors in the
calculation of the acceleration ACC can be substantially mitigated.
For example, the substantial thermal expansion-matching
characteristics of the mouting interposer 260 and the accelerometer
sensor 252 can result in a substantial reduction in
temperature-sensitive force applied to the inertial mass (e.g., the
inertial mass 108) at a given temperature. As another example, the
substantial thermal expansion-matching characteristics of the
accelerometer case 258 and the instrument block 264 can
substantially mitigate (e.g., to first order) distortion of the
accelerometer case 258 over temperature, such as can result from a
thermal expansion mismatch between the accelerometer case 258 and
the instrument block 264. Thus, non-uniform charge distribution,
such as resulting from mechanical distortion of the accelerometer
sensor 252 resulting from thermal expansion mismatches in the
materials of the accelerometer system 250, and other associated
errors (e.g., bias and scale-factor) can be substantially mitigated
for a more accurate calculation of the acceleration ACC.
[0051] FIG. 8 illustrates yet another example of an accelerometer
system 350. The accelerometer system 350 can correspond to portions
of the accelerometer system 10 in the example of FIG. 1. The
accelerometer system 350 includes an accelerometer sensor 352 that
can correspond to the accelerometer sensor 100 in the example of
FIG. 3 (e.g., and the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, by extension). The
accelerometer system 350 also includes a signal generator 354 and a
measurement system 356, which can correspond, respectively, to the
signal generator 20 and the measurement system 22 in the
accelerometer controller 18 in the example of FIG. 1. Therefore,
reference is to be made to the example of FIG. 1 in the following
description of the example of FIG. 8.
[0052] The signal generator 354 includes a switching system 358
that includes a first switch 360 and a second switch 362. As
described herein, the first and second switches 360 and 362 can be
configured as physical switches, transistor switches, separate
outputs from a processor, or the same output from a processor that
provides a varying voltage, and is thus not limited to an actual
physical switch, but is merely demonstrated conceptually in the
example of FIG. 8. The first switch 360 is configured to provide
one of a positive voltage V.sub.+ and a negative voltage V.sub.- as
a voltage V.sub.+/- in response to a first switching signal
SW.sub.1. As an example, the positive and negative voltages
V.sub.+and V.sub.- can be voltages that can have approximately
equal and opposite amplitudes with respect to a zero voltage
amplitude. For example, the positive and negative voltages
V.sub.+and V.sub.- can be generated via one or two respective power
supplies. The second switch 362 is configured to provide the
voltage V.sub.+/- to one of a first charge amplifier system 364 and
a second charge amplifier system 366 in response to a second
switching signal SW.sub.2. The first charge amplifier system 364 is
configured to provide a voltage V.sub.1 to a first electrode
configuration 368 associated with the accelerometer sensor 352, and
the second charge amplifier system 366 is configured to provide a
voltage V.sub.2 to a second electrode configuration 370 associated
with the accelerometer sensor 352. As an example, the first and
second charge amplifier systems 364 and 366 can be configured
approximately the same with respect to each other.
[0053] As an example, the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 can
correspond to the control signals SIG in the example of FIG. 1. For
example, the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 can thus correspond to
charge pulses (e.g., current pulses) of a substantially equal and
opposite amplitude (e.g., based on the voltages V.sub.+ and
V.sub.-) that are provided to the electrode configurations 368 and
370 in a predetermined alternating sequence based on the switching
signals SW.sub.1 and SW.sub.2 to generate electrostatic forces to
accelerate an inertial mass 372 (e.g., corresponding to the
inertial mass 100) toward a respective null position (e.g., to
rebalance the inertial mass 372). As an example, during a first
measurement cycle (e.g., based on the first switching signal
SW.sub.1), the voltage V.sub.+/- can correspond to the positive
voltage V.sub.+ that is amplified via the first charge amplifier
system 364 as the voltage V.sub.1 and provided to first electrode
configuration 368 first, followed by the positive voltage V.sub.+
being amplified via the second charge amplifier system 366 as the
voltage V.sub.2 and provided to second electrode configuration 370
(e.g., based on the second switching signal SW.sub.2). Thus, during
a second measurement cycle (e.g., based on the first switching
signal SW.sub.1), the voltage V.sub.+/- can correspond to the
negative voltage V.sub.- that is amplified via the first charge
amplifier system 364 as the voltage V.sub.1 and provided to first
electrode configuration 368 first, followed by the negative voltage
V.sub.- being amplified via the second charge amplifier system 366
as the voltage V.sub.2 and provided to second electrode
configuration 370 (e.g., based on the second switching signal
SW.sub.2).
[0054] As a result, the inertial mass 372 is alternately
accelerated in the first and second directions in each of the first
and second measurement cycles to position the inertial mass 372
toward the null position at each charge pulse application. In
response to an external force, an acceleration processor (e.g., the
acceleration processor 24) can be configured to adjust the second
switching signal SW.sub.2 to change a duty-cycle of the charge
pulses, such as to change a pulse-width of the charge pulses, to
apply a greater rebalance force to one side of the respective
inertial mass 372. As a result of a capacitive coupling between the
respective electrode configurations 368 and 370 and the inertial
mass 372, the measurement system 356 can be configured to measure
the respective voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 as pickoff signals PO
corresponding to an indication of the relative displacement of the
inertial mass 372. The amplitudes of the voltages V.sub.1 and
V.sub.2 can thus be proportional to a displacement (e.g.,
capacitive gap) of the inertial mass 372 relative to the respective
electrode configurations 368 and 370. Accordingly, the amplitude of
the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 can correspond to a magnitude of
the relative displacement of the inertial mass 372. The measurement
system 356 can thus be configured to generate the signal PM that
corresponds to the displacement of the inertial mass 372 and/or a
time integral of the displacement of the inertial mass 372 based on
the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2, such as resulting from an
external acceleration. The acceleration processor 24 can thus be
configured to calculate the magnitude of the external acceleration
ACC based on the signal PM.
[0055] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a portion of a signal
generator system 400. The portion of the signal generator system
400 can correspond to a portion of the signal generator system 354
in the example of FIG. 8. In the example of FIG. 9, the portion of
the signal generator system 400 includes a first charge amplifier
system 402 and a second charge amplifier system 404, which can
correspond respectively to the first and second charge amplifier
systems 364 and 366 in the example of FIG. 8. Therefore, reference
is to be made to the example of FIG. 8 in the following description
of the example of FIG. 9.
[0056] The first and second charge amplifier systems 402 and 404
are configured substantially the same with respect to each other.
Each of the first and second charge amplifier systems 402 and 404
includes a first amplifier 406 and a second amplifier 408 that are
configured in a cascaded arrangement. The first amplifier 406
includes a non-inverting input that receives the voltage V.sub.+/-
and an inverting input that receives a feedback voltage V.sub.FB.
The feedback voltage V.sub.FB is associated with the respective
output voltage of the first and second charge amplifier systems 402
and 404, and thus the respective voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2
provided through a respective resistor R.sub.1 that is associated
with each of the first and second charge amplifier systems 402 and
404. The first amplifier 406 provides a voltage V.sub.STB at an
output in response to the voltages V.sub.+/- and V.sub.FB. The
voltage V.sub.STB is provided to a non-inverting input of the
second amplifier 408. The second amplifier V.sub.STB also receives
the feedback voltage V.sub.FB at an inverting input. Thus, the
second amplifier 408 provides the respective one of the voltages
V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 based on the voltage V.sub.STB and the feedback
voltage V.sub.FB.
[0057] The first and second amplifiers 406 and 408 can be
configured as amplifiers that exhibit different behavioral
characteristics. As an example, the first amplifier 406 can be
configured as a high-stability amplifier, such that the voltage
V.sub.STB can exhibit high stability characteristics in response to
the voltage V.sub.STB and the feedback voltage V.sub.FB. As another
example, the second amplifier 408 can be configured as a high
bandwidth and high slew-rate amplifier, such that the second
amplifier 408 can exhibit rapid changes and a high dynamic range in
the respective voltage V.sub.1 or V.sub.2 based on the voltage
V.sub.STB and the feedback voltage V.sub.FB. As a result, the first
and second amplifiers 406 and 408 can collectively achieve
characteristics that are typically competing in an individual
amplifier. Accordingly, the first and second charge amplifier
systems 402 and 404 can provide stable voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2
(e.g., with a reduced settling time), respectively, that can change
rapidly in amplitude and polarity in response to rapid switching
between the positive voltage V.sub.+ and the negative voltage
V.sub.-. As a result, the displacement of the inertial mass 372
relative to a null position, and thus the acceleration ACC, can be
calculated in a manner that substantially mitigates noise resulting
from a lack of stability of the control signals SIG that apply
charge.
[0058] Referring back to the example of FIG. 8, based on the
collective characteristics of high stability, high bandwidth, and
high slew-rate of the first and second charge amplifier systems 364
and 366 in generating the respective voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2,
the switching system 358 can be implemented at the inputs of the
respective first and second charge amplifier systems 364 and 366,
as opposed to signal generators that implement a single charge
amplifier system that is switched between the sets of electrodes at
a respective output. For example, by implementing the switching
system 358 at the inputs of the respective first and second charge
amplifier systems 364 and 366, a parasitic capacitance that can be
exhibited in parallel with an inertial mass-to-electrode
capacitance can be substantially mitigated. In addition, based on
an inherent resistance in switches, the voltages V.sub.1 and
V.sub.2 can be provided at a substantially reduced amplitude
relative to the voltage provided by the charge amplifier in a
typical signal generator based on the resistance of the switch at
the output of the charge amplifier in the typical signal generator.
As a result, a contribution to displacement sensitivity resulting
from any stray capacitance can be substantially reduced. Thus, the
signal generator 354 can implement a low charge injection via the
voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2, which can allow incorporation of the
signal generator 354 into an application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC).
[0059] As described previously, the switching system 358 can
sequentially provide the respective positive and negative voltages
V.sub.+ and V.sub.- to the first and second charge amplifier
systems 364 and 366 for sequential application of charge to the
respective electrode configurations 368 and 370 via the voltages
V.sub.1 and V.sub.2. FIG. 10 illustrates an example diagram 450 of
an algorithm for mitigating errors in an accelerometer system. The
algorithm can be implemented by the acceleration processor 24 in
the example of FIG. 1 to calculate the acceleration ACC in a manner
that substantially mitigates errors, such as resulting from
low-frequency and/or DC noise and drift in the electronics and/or
in the electrical charge at the silicon to silicon-dioxide
interface of the accelerometer sensor (e.g., the accelerometer
sensor 100). The algorithm demonstrated in the example of FIG. 10
can be implemented by the acceleration processor 24 based on the
switching signals SW.sub.1 and SW.sub.2 and monitoring the pickoff
signals PO corresponding to the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 via
the signal PM in the example of FIG. 8. Therefore, reference is to
be made to the example of FIG. 8 in the following description of
the example of FIG. 10. In the example of FIG. 10, the steps of the
algorithm are implemented in chronological order beginning from the
top and proceeding down, as demonstrated by the arrow 452
indicating time. It is to be understood that the time-scale may not
be to scale.
[0060] In response to a rising-edge of the first switching signal
SW.sub.1, the positive voltage V.sub.+ is provided as the voltage
V.sub.+/- via the first switch 360 during a first measurement cycle
(e.g., as defined by the first switching signal SW.sub.1).
Additionally, in response to a rising-edge of the second switching
signal SW.sub.2, the voltage V.sub.+/- is provided to the input of
the first charge amplifier system 364 via the second switch 362.
Thus, at a logic-high state of both of the first and second
switching signals SW.sub.1 and SW.sub.2, the positive voltage
V.sub.+ is provided to the input of the of the first charge
amplifier system 364 via the switching system 358. At 454, a charge
associated with the positive voltage V.sub.+ is provided to the
first electrode configuration 368, and the voltage V.sub.1 is
measured by the measurement system 356. In the example of FIG. 10,
the pickoff voltage that is measured by the measurement system 356
associated with the capacitive gap between the first electrode
configuration 368 and the inertial mass 372 can include an error
voltage V.sub.E, such as resulting from charge drift in the
electronics and/or the accelerometer sensor 352. The error voltage
V.sub.E can thus be exhibited at the output of the first charge
amplifier system 364, and is thus demonstrated as a pickoff voltage
"V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E" corresponding to the voltage V.sub.1
plus the error voltage V.sub.E during the first measurement cycle.
Accordingly, the measurement system 356 can measure the pickoff
voltage V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E at 454.
[0061] As described previously, during a logic-high state of the
first switching signal SW.sub.1, and thus during the first
measurement cycle, the positive voltage V.sub.+ is provided as the
voltage V.sub.+/- via the first switch 360. In response to a
falling-edge of the second switching signal SW.sub.2, the voltage
V.sub.+/- is provided to the input of the second charge amplifier
system 366 via the second switch 362. Thus, the positive voltage
V.sub.+ is provided to the input of the of the second charge
amplifier system 366 via the switching system 358. At 456, a charge
associated with the positive voltage V.sub.+ is provided to the
second electrode configuration 370, and the voltage V.sub.2 is
measured by the measurement system 356. In the example of FIG. 10,
since the error voltage V.sub.E may not be uniform with respect to
both the first and second electrode configurations 368 and 370, the
error voltage V.sub.E is demonstrated as not acting upon the second
electrode configuration 370. Thus, the pickoff voltage that is
measured by the measurement system 356 associated with the
capacitive gap between the second electrode configuration 370 and
the inertial mass 372 is demonstrated as a pickoff voltage
"V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1" corresponding to the voltage V.sub.2 during
the first measurement cycle. Accordingly, the measurement system
356 can measure the pickoff voltage V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1 at 456.
Despite the absence of the error voltage V.sub.E in the measurement
of the pickoff voltage V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1, it is to be understood
that the error voltage V.sub.E could be exhibited in the pickoff
voltage V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1 instead of the pickoff voltage
V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E, and that both pickoff voltages could
include equal or different error voltages.
[0062] At 458, the acceleration processor 24 can be configured to
calculate a difference in the pickoff voltages
V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E and V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1, resulting in a
first voltage difference term of
"(V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E)-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1". The first
voltage difference term
(V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E)-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1 can thus
correspond to a relative displacement of the inertial mass 372
relative to the electrical null position during the first
measurement cycle. Ideally, if the first voltage difference term
(V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E)-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1 is equal to zero,
then the acceleration processor 24 would identify that the inertial
mass 372 is at the electrical null. However, because of the error
voltage V.sub.E, the acceleration processor 24 can be unable to
accurately identify the relative displacement of the inertial mass
372, and could be attempting to force-rebalance the inertial mass
372 via subsequent application of charge (e.g., via the voltages
V.sub.1 and V.sub.2) to a location that is offset from the
electrical null based on the error voltage V.sub.E.
[0063] In response to a falling-edge of the first switching signal
SW.sub.1, the negative voltage V.sub.- is provided as the voltage
V.sub.+/- via the first switch 360 during a second measurement
cycle. Additionally, in response to a rising-edge of the second
switching signal SW.sub.2, the voltage V.sub.+/- is provided to the
input of the first charge amplifier system 364 via the second
switch 362. Thus, at a logic-low state of the first switching
signal SW.sub.1 and a logic-high state of the second switching
signal SW.sub.2, the negative voltage V.sub.- is provided to the
input of the of the first charge amplifier system 364 via the
switching system 358. At 460, a charge associated with the negative
voltage V.sub.- is provided to the first electrode configuration
368, and the voltage V.sub.1 is measured by the measurement system
356. As described previously, the diagram 400 demonstrates the
error voltage V.sub.E being associated with the first electrode
configuration 368. Therefore, the error voltage V.sub.E can be
exhibited at the output of the first charge amplifier system 364,
and is thus demonstrated as a pickoff voltage
"-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E" corresponding to the voltage V.sub.1
minus the error voltage V.sub.E (due to the change of polarity of
the voltage V.sub.1) during the second measurement cycle.
Accordingly, the measurement system 356 can measure the pickoff
voltage -V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E at 460.
[0064] As described previously, during a logic-low state of the
first switching signal SW.sub.1, and thus during the second
measurement cycle, the negative voltage V.sub.- is provided as the
voltage V.sub.+/- via the first switch 360. In response to a
falling-edge of the second switching signal SW.sub.2, the voltage
V.sub.+/- is provided to the input of the second charge amplifier
system 366 via the second switch 362. Thus, the negative voltage
V.sub.- is provided to the input of the of the second charge
amplifier system 366 via the switching system 358. At 462, a charge
associated with the negative voltage V.sub.- is provided to the
second electrode configuration 370, and the voltage V.sub.2 is
measured by the measurement system 356. As described previously,
the error voltage V.sub.E is not exhibited in the second electrode
configuration 370 in the example of FIG. 10. Thus, the pickoff
voltage that is measured by the measurement system 356 associated
with the capacitive gap between the second electrode configuration
370 and the inertial mass 372 is demonstrated as a pickoff voltage
"-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.2" corresponding to the voltage V.sub.2 during
the second measurement cycle. Accordingly, the measurement system
356 can measure the pickoff voltage V.sub.2.sub._.sub.2 at 462.
[0065] At 464, the acceleration processor 24 can be configured to
calculate a difference in the pickoff voltages
-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E and -V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1, resulting in
a second voltage difference term of
"(-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E)-(-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1)". The second
voltage difference term
(-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E)-(-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1) can thus
correspond to a relative displacement of the inertial mass 372
relative to the electrical null position during the second
measurement cycle. At 466, the acceleration processor 24 can be
configured to calculate an average of the first and second voltage
difference terms, thus resulting in an average term
"((V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2)+(V.sub.2.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.2.-
sub._.sub.1))/2". Based on averaging the first voltage difference
term (V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1+V.sub.E)-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1, associated
with the sequential application of the voltages V.sub.1 and V.sub.2
to the first and second electrode configurations 368 and 370 based
on the positive voltage V.sub.+, and the second voltage difference
term (-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.E)-(-V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1),
associated with the sequential application of the voltages V.sub.1
and V.sub.2 to the first and second electrode configurations 368
and 370 based on the negative voltage V.sub.-, the error voltage
V.sub.E is mathematically canceled. The average term
((V.sub.1.sub._.sub.1-V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2)-(V.sub.2.sub._.sub.2-V.sub.2.s-
ub._.sub.1))/2 can thus be provided as the signal PM corresponding
to the displacement of the inertial mass 372. Accordingly, the
algorithm demonstrated in the diagram 400, as performed by the
acceleration processor 24, can act as a high-pass filter with
respect to the pickoff voltages in the first and second measurement
cycles to substantially mitigate low-frequency noise resulting from
noise and/or charge drift in the electronics and/or the
accelerometer sensor 352. The acceleration processor 24 can thus
control the duty-cycle of the switching signals SW.sub.1 and
SW.sub.2 to control the force rebalance of the inertial mass 372 in
a feedback manner to calculate the acceleration ACC in a manner
that is substantially absent the low-frequency error sources.
[0066] In view of the foregoing structural and functional features
described above, a methodology in accordance with various aspects
of the present invention will be better appreciated with reference
to FIG. 11. While, for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the
methodology of FIG. 11 is shown and described as executing
serially, it is to be understood and appreciated that the present
invention is not limited by the illustrated order, as some aspects
could, in accordance with the present invention, occur in different
orders and/or concurrently with other aspects from that shown and
described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated features may be
required to implement a methodology in accordance with an aspect of
the present invention.
[0067] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a method 500 for
calculating an acceleration (e.g., the acceleration ACC). At 502, a
charge is provided to each of a first electrode assembly (e.g., the
first electrode assembly 15) and a second electrode assembly (e.g.,
the second electrode assembly 16) associated with an accelerometer
sensor (e.g., the accelerometer sensor 12) based on a first voltage
(e.g., the positive voltage V.sub.+) having a positive amplitude.
The first and second electrode assemblies can be arranged opposite
an inertial mass (e.g., the inertial mass 14). At 504, first
pickoff voltages (e.g., the voltages V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2 and
V.sub.2.sub._.sub.1) associated with the respective first and
second electrode assemblies are measured in a first measurement
cycle. At 506, a charge is provided to the first and second
electrode assemblies based on a second voltage (e.g., the negative
voltage V_) having an amplitude that is equal and opposite the
first voltage. At 508, second pickoff voltages (e.g., the voltages
V.sub.1.sub._.sub.2 and V.sub.2.sub._.sub.2) associated with the
respective first and second electrode assemblies are measured in a
second measurement cycle. At 510, an average of differences between
the respective first and second pickoff voltages associated with
each of the first and second measurement cycles is calculated. At
512, a displacement of the inertial mass resulting from the
acceleration is calculated.
[0068] What have been described above are examples of the present
invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every
conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes
of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in
the art will recognize that many further combinations and
permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly,
the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations,
modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *